where jess ate

Despite hearing about Saving Grace being very tiny, I was still shocked at how small the space was. I dropped by for brunch with Chris on a weekday, hoping to avoid the notoriously long waits but still ended up waiting half an hour before being seated.

The place fits maybe 20 people max and the tables are only inches apart so you’ll be getting cozy with your dining neighbors. If you’ve never been here before, make sure you put your name on the clipboard next to the door to hold your spot.

The menu at Saving Grace consists of both breakfast and lunch items including a variety of egg dishes, French toast, sandwiches and salads. The chalkboard on the wall also lists the specials of the day. Looking at the menu and the daily specials, you’d notice they have a very eclectic menu, with some Asian and Indian-inspired items.

Their selection of fresh juice and smoothies is also noteworthy. I would have loved to try some of their fresh blueberry lemonade but unfortunately I had grabbed a drink at Ezra’s Pound next door while waiting for a table. Maybe next time.

I decided to go with the Rajastani Eggs – scrambled with spicy red onion tomato, chickpea masala and a spicy paratha ($10). This was a big mistake on my part as the dish was way too spicy for me. One bite of the spicy scramble and my mouth was on fire. As for the rest of the dish, I found the chickpea masala to be unmemorable and didn’t particularly enjoy the paratha either, which was too dry and crumbly for my liking.

Chris went with one of the specials on the chalkboard, the Open Omelette – with caramelized pears, cambozola and bacon ($11). The omelette was well cooked and the classic combination of the pears, cheese and bacon was delicious! I’m not a huge fan of blue cheese so I’m glad the flavour of the cambozola was quite mild. The bitterness from the bit of arugula which topped the omelette was a welcome addition. Loved it all!

While reading the menu, Chris commented on the lack of meat in the dishes. So naturally, he added a Spicy Italian Sausage ($3.50) to accompany his dish. Nothing special here…unless you’re really craving some meat, I’d recommend skipping the sausage.

Since I was starving by the time we were seated, we also ordered a half order of French Toast – with caramelized bananas and maple syrup ($4.50 half order/$8.75 full order).  After having a bite of this I regretted not ordering a full order of this.

I loved the choice of bread and liked that the bread was lightly washed with egg. I prefer my French toast this way as opposed to being completely soaked in eggwash creating a custardy centre like the one at Bonjour Brioche.

While I enjoyed the French toast and open omelette, I’m not sure it’d be worth a 1 hour+ wait on the weekend.

At a glance:
• Tiny space which seats around 20 people
• Notorious for long waits
• One of the best French toasts in the city
• Skip the Rajastani Eggs if you can’t tolerate much spice

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 3 stars
• Service: 3 stars
• Atmosphere: 3 stars